Examining the German University System:
Does it Make More Sense?
11:00 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008
Webster Hall Auditorium
Admission: free

German students who are planning to attend university must have excellent attendance and completed all of the required course work at the Gymnasium (High School Academy) level. They must also have exceptional marks in the majority of their studies. After receiving the desired “Abitur” (or degree) they are allowed to apply to what Germans consider the classical or traditional university. It is here that they will begin to “specialize” in the studies for their career. Essentially, there is no “general studies” or “core curriculum” at the university level. This presentation will focus on the differences between the European or German university systems and that of the United States. The advantages and disadvantages of both will be explored in more depth.

Ann Stamp Miller received her Ph.D. in European history from the University of Hawaii. She has lived and studied abroad in Germany and Austria. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Germany in 2005-2006 and is the author of the book The Cultural Politics of the German Democratic Republic: The Voices of Wolf Biermann, Christa Wolf, and Heiner Mueller. Dr. Miller is an associate professor of European history at Simpson University in California, where she teaches Historiography, Nazi Germany, Modern Europe, and Cold War Politics and History.